Danskin Zebra-Print Yoga Mat

This Danskin Yoga Mat is a gift that I personally picked from among the other yoga mats that I have seen in Davao City. It costs P899 and I chose this one mainly because of its cute zebra print. It also comes with a strap that will hold it together when not in use and also serves well when you need to carry it anywhere.

Being branded, although I have not heard of Danskin before, I had high expectations for this mat. I actually like the material and tested all the other yoga mats by pressing them with my fingers while I was still at the store and I thought that this Danskin mat is the best one. However, actual use of this yoga mat was disappointing.

Just look at that footprint:

During my first use, I have already noticed how slippery this yoga mat is. I could not hold my positions well because it is slippery and I think that you need a good pair of yoga socks if you want to use this mat for your practice. Also, footprints, thumbprints, and all the pressure from pressing on the mat is very visible and they don't go away within a few minutes, they bother me a lot. My old yoga mat which I bought in SM for P399 was so much better in terms of quality and it had few to no traces of pressure marks, it gets back in shape in no time.

Overall, you can still try to make this mat as useful as possible by using yoga socks for grip and traction. You can also use yoga gloves or grippies if you want. This mat provides cushion and is thick enough to support you.

Home remedies for slippery yoga mats:

Slippery yoga mats are not unusual for new ones. A lot of yoga practitioners say that your yoga mat will feel more comfortable and will give you more traction as you use it. But if you can't wait until you can perfectly do your downward dog pose without sliding your hands and feet, you can do the following remedies:

1. Wash your mat using a gentle detergent, preferably an organic one. Your new mat has most probably been coated with wax to preserve the material while still being stored in the warehouse or store shelf. This wax will make your yoga mat slippery and the way to remove it is by washing. I have not yet washed my mat because I am afraid that the zebra print might fade but I am already very close to washing it because of the discomfort of slipping and sliding whenever to do my yoga practice.
2. Use a yoga mat spray. There are yoga mat sprays available in the market and you can use this in cleaning your mat. Wipe afterwards. If you want a home remedy or if a commercial yoga spray is not available, you can make a mixture of water and vinegar, spray in your mat, and wipe clean and dry.
3. Lay a towel over your yoga mat. This is the easiest way to go about a slippery yoga mat. Using a towel over your yoga mat will surely eliminate the slippery problems that you have, just make sure that you have the time and the patience to straighten out the towel from time to time. Find a towel that is approximately the same length with your yoga mat.

It's Sunday today and it's a great day to some Asana. Have a great day!